The Patriots introduced Jerod Mayo’s promotion to go coach final Friday, however opted to not schedule his introductory press convention for one more 5 days.
Why the delay?
Sure, there was the vacation weekend. There’s additionally this: Mayo, greater than ever, is a busy man.
Starting Friday, Mayo and the Krafts started to handle the reorganization of the Patriots’ teaching employees and entrance workplace within the post-Bill Belichick period. Mayo has already rolled up his sleeves, reportedly establishing interviews to search out his first defensive coordinator and particular groups coordinator. But his hardest work, the selections that may set into movement a profitable Mayo period or a failed succession plan, are coming quick.
Mayo should repair the three positions that failed Belichick on the finish of his legendary run: offensive coordinator, quarterback and head of personnel.
The Patriots are usually not anticipated to rent a basic supervisor — one thing the Krafts have by no means carried out of their possession — and are leaning towards ready till after the draft to formally title a brand new chief of their entrance workplace. Meanwhile, director of participant personnel Matt Groh and director of scouting Eliot Wolf will proceed to guide that division, although it’s unclear who may have ultimate say over the roster in Belichick’s place. Only the Krafts can reply that query (and hopefully will Wednesday), however don’t underestimate Mayo’s affect in choosing the following de facto GM.
As for hiring an offensive coordinator, that ought to all be Mayo. The Patriots haven’t but introduced a search, but when they do, count on it to be a strategic course of with acquainted gamers. There’s present offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien and Josh McDaniels, who has been within the space for weeks and will have his personal determination to make: selecting the Patriots or a job with whichever group Belichick leads subsequent.
O’Brien could face the identical selection, although till a search is introduced or carried out, needs to be seen as the favourite to maintain his present job. Now, how Mayo balances his personal search in opposition to Belichick’s — to not point out massaging the egos concerned — shall be an early take a look at of his management and draw as a brand new head coach. Even if O’Brien and McDaniels don’t encourage the fan base as retread decisions, they possess the precise expertise Mayo and the Patriots ought to covet of their subsequent offensive coordinator: having developed a first-round rookie beginning quarterback.
Who will that quarterback be? Who is aware of. USC’s Caleb Williams lastly declared for the draft Monday, however he and North Carolina’s Drake Maye could each be gone earlier than the Patriots choose third total. Whether it’s one in all them, LSU’s Jayden Daniels or a thriller candidate below middle subsequent September, Mayo should discover a option to join with that participant.
The coach-quarterback relationship is extra a partnership than it’s ever been, and Mayo should know his destiny is tied to his subsequent quarterback. It was no accident the Belichick period sunk with a Mac Jones-sized gap in its hull. Their relationship broke, then the group did.
Now, again to the straightforward stuff.
Jerod Mayo reportedly gives to maintain Bill Belichick’s sons on Patriots employees
Mayo reportedly arrange an interview with Panthers linebackers coach Tem Lukabu for his defensive coordinator job, a transfer that may fulfill the brand new Rooney Rule mandating groups meet with at the least one exterior, minority candidate throughout coordinator searches. The timing of Lukabu’s interview may point out a couple of issues: Mayo is prioritizing coaches with expertise exterior of New England or staffers with comparable backgrounds (Lukabu is an ex-linebacker who labored below Greg Schiano, a Belichick confidant, for 4 seasons). Or, Mayo is already ready to maneuver on his subsequent defensive coordinator.
Because as quickly as Lukabu sits down, Mayo may, hypothetically, promote defensive position coach DeMarcus Covington into that function. Covington interviewed for the Cardinals’ defensive coordinator job final 12 months and has designs on turning into a head coach in the future. Covington’s gamers can already see him in a management function.
That does not essentially imply Lukabu’s sitdown shall be a sham interview, one thing Mayo, a fellow Black coach, would certainly be delicate to. Mayo might want Lukabu for one more job and like to fulfill him below the pretense of a coordinator interview that doubles as step one towards hiring him because the linebackers coach. Lukabu’s expertise teaching linebackers totals greater than a decade, and he is additionally labored with defensive linemen and defensive backs.
A coach like Lukabu can be an apparent asset on a Patriots teaching employees that is leaned younger and inexperienced for years.
Mayo noticed Belichick use final 12 months’s offensive coordinator search to satisfy this twin function. Before hiring O’Brien, Belichick picked the brains of vast receivers coaches Keenan McCardell and Shawn Jefferson. He interviewed Adrian Klemm, whom he later employed to be the Patriots’ offensive line coach. Belichick carried out his search in accordance with the Rooney Rule, however performed by his personal guidelines as he made the method work for him.
Would or not it’s a shock if Mayo mimicked Belichick on this manner? Of course not.
He was as soon as the participant they known as “Jerod Belichick.”
He is now Belichick’s successor.
And quickly, pending a couple of important decisions within the coming months, Mayo will both develop into the coach that mounted the Patriots or a younger upstart who suffered from the identical issues that doomed the best of all time.
Source: www.bostonherald.com